Letter: Staying hydrated during 'triple H' days

During a string of hazy, hot and humid days in New England, you may find people cranking the air conditioning and cracking jokes about the Polar Vortex. Still, amid the dog days of summer when the mercury is soaring, it's always important to remember that the heat is no joke.

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The Herald News, Fall River, MA

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Posted Jul. 19, 2014 at 11:00 AM

Posted Jul. 19, 2014 at 11:00 AM

» Social News

During a string of hazy, hot and humid days in New England, you may find people cranking the air conditioning and cracking jokes about the Polar Vortex. Still, amid the dog days of summer when the mercury is soaring, it’s always important to remember that the heat is no joke.

Hydration is key to staying safe and healthy this summer. Whenever you venture outside in the heat — whether you’re planning to hike, play ball or just relax in the water — you should also have an adequate hydration plan.

— Have fluid source readily available. Plan ahead and make sure you drink enough water throughout the day and night to replenish fluids lost during activities.

— Water will do the trick. For most people water will be sufficient enough to keep you properly hydrated. If you are working really hard, you might need to replace calories that are lost due to perspiration. A soda or sports drink can help with fluid and calorie replacement.

— Be careful when drinking alcohol. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. A good strategy is to alternate alcoholic beverages with water. With alcohol you can only count on about 75 percent of the beverage ending up in the body as fluid.

— Listen to your body. When the temperatures and activity levels increase it’s even more important to listen to your body and take breaks if you start to feel light-headed, feel overheated or if you develop a headache or muscle cramps. These are warning signs that something is not right. Don’t ignore them!

— Don’t take in too much fluid. It might sound a little strange but be careful of drinking too much fluid. This can lead to the opposite of dehydration — over-hydration, or electrolyte imbalances such as hypernatremia (elevated sodium levels). The rule of thumb is to monitor your fluid intake if you are not thirsty, if you feel water sloshing around in your stomach or you don’t feel well and have been taking in fluids.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, active people should drink at least 16- 20 ounces of fluid one to two hours before an outdoor activity. After that, you should consume 6 to 12 ounces of fluid every 10 to 15 minutes you are outside. When you are finished with the activity, you should drink more.